While Sunbathers Escaped Violence, Popular Photo Shows Beach Patrol Running ‘Pedal to the Metal’ Towards the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, has always considered the famous shoreline as her personal space. On that fateful weekend night, she, similar to other local residents, noticed cracking sounds reverberating across the suburb.

“Everyone did, but I thought it was still too bright and there was nothing visible,” she explains. She left her apartment, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. Their expressions on display told her trouble had occurred.

Positioned on the avenue, conversing with a pair who had run up the slope soaked, she noticed someone coming up at her rear. This turned out to be a rescuer, sprinting to Bondi barefoot from the nearby Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while transporting a life-saving kit.

“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I spotted this streak in blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. He was alone heading in the direction that everyone was trying to get away from, while holding that large equipment and barefoot … He was sprinting towards something that certainly every part of you would instruct you to run in the reverse way.

“Absolutely no pause, but just completely pedal to the metal running.”

A Symbol of Courage During Chaos

The photograph taken by Ching of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as one of many moments of valour in the wake of the violent incident.

Andy Reid, a fellow beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, called “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to back up the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to help other rescuers, officers and paramedics attending to numerous those hurt.

Local Reaction and Solidarity

Doolan’s actions was a single example among several to come out of the neighbourhood, with the patrol base next to the location of the incident serving as a impromptu medical station. Accounts show that other team members were also seen taking action, including rushing into the ocean to rescue people in distress.

In the days after the attack, comments of gratitude flooded in. A social media message shared thanks for the individuals who demonstrated that “goodness will always conquer evil”.

The group of rescuers issued a statement, saying they were “coming to terms with what occurred”.

“Thank you all for your thoughtful words and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the kindness shown towards our responders,” the team commented. “Eventually, we will share our stories in the belief that it helps those affected.”

Council Recognition

Waverley council, the local authority that employs many permanent lifeguards, remarked that the crew acted heroically from the moment the violence started through to late that evening.

“There have been so many moving narratives, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, racing from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help preserve life is remarkable,” stated a council representative.

“The team exhibit selflessness every day in maintaining the safety of our iconic shores safe for visitors, but what we witnessed on that evening should be commended.

“As we grieve and process the terror of this brutal and barbaric terrorist attack, I think it is vital that we reflect on just how much positivity we have observed in the midst of such darkness.”